Persian Poets, 



271 



I am a goldbeater, and earn my bread by my trade ; 

 But cannot get on without clamour and noise, 

 Though always seated in the midst of gold 

 I have not a dank* to call my own. 



Mami Mir Mahomed Masum* 



This poet was a noble of Bekr and one of Akbar's courtiers. He 

 was sent on an embassy to Persia, and on the journey amused himself 

 by cutting verses of his own composition on the pillars and mosques 

 where he halted. The following lines of his are cited : 



" When she saw my tears, her smiles vanished, and it became evi* 

 dent that my weeping was not lost upon her." 



Nasiri Hamdani. 



Hamdani, lived in the reign of Jehangir, and is said to have excell- 

 ed all his cotemporaries in beauty and melody of language. He com- 



* The clank is a small coin valued at the sixth part of a clirem. 



